The leader of the Ministerial Task Team on COVID 19 in Kano, which is investigating the spate of deaths taking place in that state, has denied apportioning any percentage of such deaths to the Coronavirus disease.
Nasiru Sani Gwarzo, making a clarification on Tuesday in Kano, said media reports attributing such claims to him were “absolutely wrong”.
“That is not the truth because I have said repeatedly that the state is embarking on a study, (with) which we were very, very pleasantly impressed; and surprised that the state has already gone ahead to do a post mortem (a verbal autopsy), and the result is not out,” Gwarzo said, when he presented some medical equipment to the Kano State governor.
A string of deaths reported recently in the state raised concerns across the country, and prompted the Federal Government to raise a team of medical experts to help unravel the possible causes of the deaths. Those who died in the state within the last two weeks include notable academics, politicians, and administrators.
Gwarzo said the Kano State government is conducting studies in the graveyards, and that the result of the study is not out.
He disclosed that on Monday, the Federal team and the state concluded another protocol, which would do the actual testing of samples. According to him, it is the “conclusive result” that would indicate the proportion that had died of COVID and the percent that died of other causes.
“When the result comes out, it will not be befitting on the Ministerial Task Team to announce it. It is the state’s responsibility,” he said.
Gwarzo said his team had spent almost a week in Kano and that a lot of progress had been made, “and we foresee a brighter future in a short while to come”.
The leader gave the correct title of his team as Ministerial Task Team on COVID 19 in Kano, pointing out that his team on return to Abuja, would report to the Minister of Health, who in turn will report to the Presidential Committee.
He said the Minister of Health directed him to bring to the state some equipment.
The equipment included four ambulances that are equipped and also manned by a 21-member crew, who are trained in handling emergency, Gwarzo said. They also had two oxygen concentrators, one for the state and one for the Teaching hospital in Kano.
Other items included two ventilators, one for the state and one for the Teaching Hospital, a pack of 200 PPEs for the state and 80 for Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, he said.
Gwarzo noted that there was a challenge with regards to the speed with which Coronavirus patients are discharged. “It is in our record that some of the early entrants in those Isolation facilities have for a long time, been asymptomatic,” he said.
“They are no longer sick. Continuing to keep them there would not be in the best interest of the response,” he noted.
